women in writing
Historically women and western culture have not been compatible one another. This is probably due to the fact that most of history has been recorded under a patriarchal rule. Western society has been made to look as if it was always been a patriarchal one. This has influence how history was recorded and preserved. As time has passed evidence has been found that the Ancient Mediterranean and Renaissance societies have not always been based on a system in which men held all high positions of power. Despite this knowledge, present day historians have been reluctant to accept the idea that perhaps Mediterranean and Renaissance Women in ancient history were highly educated and many held high positions of power (Gosline, 25). Many women during this period were writers, philosophers, or lawyers. Others even held positions of power in religion. Yet little can be found in more contemporary history books regarding these women. This paper will focus its attention some of the literature on woman during this periods. More recent research has shown that Mediterranean (Egyptian, Greek, and Roman) women of all periods participated extensively in the most sacrosanct aspects of worship. But in order to minimize the effects of their titles, his
Despite all the evidence about women in religious positions, historians have gone to great extremes to exclude women of high positions from historical documents. Some have even denied their existence: "there has never been any mention of women filling strictly sacerdotal offices." (Rossi, 74) According to Gosline, some Egyptologists do not consider the title held by women in religion, as professional (Gosline, 26). Western Culture views of women have been placed upon women in ancient times perhaps to discourage western women from seeking the equality or status that women of the Mediterranean had during the Late Dynastic era. Even after the development of feminism in Europe and America, anthropologist ignored and discredited any evidence that women in other societies held positions of power (29). The title of deaconess had a very specific and short-lived significance in the eastern regions of the Mediterranean. This was a ministry with both a pastoral and liturgical function. Everywhere else the title of deaconess was used as an honorific title for the wife of a deacon, a widow of distinction, or for the superior of a convent (Rossi, 78). Of the three positions, only that one reserved for the superior of a convent required education because of the leadership responsibilities. The time period from roughly 1500 to 1640 is commonly known as the Renaissance period, meaning rebirth. Since this term was not accurate for both sexes, this time period is more accurately called the early modern period (Krontiris 3). Specifically, women did not have an equal chance in writing as men and were criticized greatly when their work was published. These aggressive women were branded outcasts yet they were a vital importance for paving the way for women's current ability to freedom of expression. Perry, Marvin. "Western Civilization " Third Edition. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co.1997 In the Jewish communities women held the office of "ruler of the synagogue", elders, and "mother of the synagogue". The education these women received provided a foundation for their leadership role in the community. Torjesen gives an example of a Jewish leader (Priscilla) who used her knowledge of Law to further the early Christian movement. Other Jewish women devoted their time to communal scholarship in which they studied, discussed and debated with other men and women (20). Although religious topics were accepted and often encouraged among women, those who preached publicly were often imprisoned (Hobby 24). One exception was that in some Independent Churches the new members were required to make a public announcement as of how they reached their present beliefs. For those who were already members of these churches, everyone was allowed to vote on admitting new members. This allowed women to voice their opinions but this soon changed (Hobby 28). After a while the male elders changed the policies of the church and the women were no longer allowed to share their opinions on such subject matters (Hobby 29). Nuns who wrote at that time were thought of as the worst type of outcast since they were supposed to have an even stricter lifestyle of obedience (Hobby 127). Martin, Randall. "Isabella Whitney's 'Lamentation upon thedeath of William Gruffith'." New Brunswick: Early Modern Literary Studies, 1997. Online. Cited 1 April 1997. Http://unixg.ubc.ca:7001/)/e-sources/emls/03-1/marwhit.html.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2780
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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